Over one quarter of 999 staff working in the East Midlands were abused or suffered physical violence at the hands of patients, a new study has revealed.
Figures released as part of the National NHS Staff Survey have shown that 26% of East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) staff surveyed experienced physical violence at work from patients, relatives or members of the public.
This figure jumps significantly to 40% when taking into account harassment, bullying or other abuse 999 staff have suffered from patients and the public in the last 12 months.
A small number (2%) said that they had been attacked over five times by patients in the last year, with 8% of respondents claiming that they had been bullied or abused by the public on more than 10 occasions.
Just 1% said that they had experienced similar abuse or violence from their managers or colleagues.
Over 1,200 EMAS staff filled in the survey.
Despite the startling figures, EMAS performed better than the national average of one in three staff experiencing physical violence and 47% suffering abuse or harassment from patients.
The trust has condemned any violence against its staff, adding it has a “zero tolerance approach” towards such attacks.
Richard Hunter, Ambulance Operations Manager at EMAS, said: “Our staff on our frontline and in our control rooms work tirelessly to help and treat people every day and deserve to be treated with respect.
“We have a zero tolerance approach towards anybody who verbally or physically assaults our staff and our security management specialists work hard with our colleagues in the police service to take action against anyone who verbally or physically assaults them.”
West Lindsey District Council leader Jeff Summers has received the support of his fellow councillors in calling for Lincolnshire County Council to make urgent improvements to a Gainsborough junction.
Councillor Summers will now write to the county council asking them to agree a scheme and timetable of works for the junction of Thorndike Way and Corringham Road.
The council backed Councillor Summers’ motion at a meeting of the full council in Gainsborough on Monday, April 9.
In addressing his colleagues, Councillor Summers said that there had been seven serious accidents at the junction in the last few years and improvements needed to be a priority.
He also slammed the county council for what he said was an objection on highway safety grounds to the Northern Neighbourhood housing development in the town.
Councillor Summers said: “The junction of Thorndike Way and Corringham Road is unsafe. There have been seven serious accidents in the last few years.
“This junction is in the top five priority highway safety schemes, but Lincolnshire County Council is unable to confirm when and how it will rectify this.
“Instead, Lincolnshire County Council has raised objections in response to a planning application for the Northern Neighbourhood citing highway safety at this junction as an issue.
“The county council cannot use existing highway safety concerns as the basis of objecting to planned growth as the junction is already dangerous, contributes significantly to accidents on these roads and should be made safer as a matter of urgency.”
Councillor Owen Bierley said: “I use that junction quite frequently. I fully support the proposal on reaching a resolution. Things will get worse before they get better as volumes of traffic are greater.”
Councillor David Cotton said that he was confused as to why Lincolnshire County Council was raising concerns when they had not during the creation of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.
He said: “I’m appalled by county highways.”
Councillors’ support for the motion is unlikely to please Councillor Richard Davies, who is responsible for highways at Lincolnshire County Council.
County councillor Richard Davies. Photo: Steve Smailes for Lincolnshire Reporter
In the week before the meeting, Councillor Davies said that he could not understand the point of the motion, claiming that his council and West Lindsey were already working with the developer to agree their financial contributions to the potential junction improvements.
He said: “For the district council to allow such a substantial development to go ahead without asking the developer to do something to mitigate the impact of the extra traffic would clearly be a backward step.
“So we have not objected to the development, but have asked West Lindsey District Council to make highways improvements a condition of the planning permission.
“In our opinion, it’s only right that the developers foots the bill for those improvements and we would also want to see the changes made before the houses are occupied.
“Our officers recently met with their West Lindsey District Council counterparts to discuss this, and there seemed to be agreement that this was the best way forward. And it is our understanding the developer is now designing those potential improvements.
“Given that everyone already appears to be working together on this, I have to say I am somewhat puzzled as to the point of Councillor Summers’ motion.”
